


a dream is a wish your heart makes

by hi_raeth



Series: retweet (twitter fics) [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Safe to Read if You're Triggered by Pregnancy, originally posted on twitter, they're soft your honor, this might be one of the softest fluffiest things I've ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24589765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hi_raeth/pseuds/hi_raeth
Summary: Five times Ben fulfills a childhood dream of Rey's, and one time Rey makes Ben's dreams come true.(Featuring: the ocean! Snow! Home and love and belonging! Happily-ever-after! You know, all that good stuff.)
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: retweet (twitter fics) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639294
Comments: 71
Kudos: 324





	a dream is a wish your heart makes

**Author's Note:**

> I filled a few 5+1 prompts on Twitter last month to try and break out of my writer's block; this one was originally posted [here](https://twitter.com/hiraeth_writes/status/1265640058691846145).
> 
> Title taken from the Cinderella song of the same name, because that's the first thing that came to mind and I decided to just go with it.

> **1\. See the ocean**

It shouldn't come as a surprise, given what he knows of her childhood, and yet the idea doesn't occur to Ben until a month before their first spring break together, when Rose starts insisting on a short trip.

"I've always wanted to see the ocean," Rey admits with a casual shrug that belies the longing in her voice when Poe asks for her opinion, and the whole table falls silent for five blessed seconds before everyone starts gasping and exclaiming and hollering in utter disbelief.

Their friends don't mean any harm by it, Ben knows, but that doesn't stop Rey from shrinking into herself as if she's done something wrong, as if she is somehow responsible for the shortcomings of her childhood.

Ben, who almost never willingly speaks at these weekly brunches, silences the chaos by clearing his throat.

"We could go to Chandrila," he offers. "My family's got a beach house we could stay at."

A moment of stunned silence, and then— "Ben, you're the best!" Rose squeals.

He leaves the rest of the table to their excited chatter, and turns his attention to Rey as she slips her hand into his.

"Are you sure about this?" she asks, searching his eyes for any sign of discomfort about reaching out to his family for a favor, especially one this trivial.

And yeah, he hates asking them for anything, but... this is Rey. This is something she wants, something he can give her. Sure, things might get awkward with his mom, but it's worth it.

She's worth it.

"100%," he tells her, and the way she smiles at him is _everything._

> **2\. Eat at a buffet**

By the time their first anniversary rolls around, Ben's figured out the easiest way to please Rey.

"Tell me something you've always wanted to do," he murmurs one night, lips brushing her shoulder while his arms wrap around her waist.

Rey rolls around to face him, her tiny smile unmistakable even in the darkness. "Once, when I was seven or eight, Plutt took me to Tatooine with him. It was just a supply run, but I was still a flight risk back then so off we went."

Nothing hurts him more than hearing her speak about her childhood and knowing there's nothing he can do about it, but he comforts himself by holding her tighter and swearing he'll never let anything bad happen to her ever again.

"You know what it's like," Rey says, her nose scrunching up in that adorable way of hers. "Just another crappy desert. But the one special thing Tatooine had was this huge billboard advertising an all-you-can-eat buffet." She laughs, and the hint of self-consciousness pains him.

"I had to read it ten times to wrap my head around the concept of unlimited food. But after that... after that I spent _years_ dreaming about that magical place," she sighs.

Ben presses a kiss to her forehead. "You know, most hotels have decent buffets."

"Most hotels also have snooty staff members who judge you for stuffing your face," Rey mutters bitterly.

Ben takes a moment, considers his options, and sighs. It was always going to happen this way — he can never say no to her, after all, doesn't even _want_ to honestly.

And so they spend their anniversary at Coruscant's most crowded all-you-can-eat buffet, the kind that's filled with tourists and cares more about quantity than quality and is worlds away from the fancy restaurant he'd planned to take her to.

It's one of their best dates yet.

> **3\. Build a snowman**

During their first winter together, Ben wakes up on the morning of Coruscant's first snowfall of the season to find Rey with her nose pressed against the window.

"I've never seen snow before," she whispers when he gets out of bed to go stand with her, voice quiet with awe.

He almost can't bear to tell her that it rarely snows heavily enough to stick in the city, and that even when it does they just end up with a grey-brown sludge.

But tell her he does, and to make up for it he promises to bring her somewhere with real snow the next year.

So a year later, they drive to his parents' winter home in the snow-capped mountains of Alderaan to have the proper Christmas experience Rey has been deprived of.

She's been twitching in her seat like an overexcited child ever since they first spotted snow an hour ago, and as the house comes into sight Ben makes a split-second decision.

When the car rolls to a stop just as they pass the gates, Rey turns to him with a look of confusion.

"Is everything okay?"

Ben reaches across the console to take her gloved hand with a smile. "Everything's perfect, sweetheart. But can you open the glove compartment for me please?"

She obliges him even as the look of confusion remains, and Ben watches silently as it slowly gives way to an excited grin once she spots the handful of buttons, twig-hands, and a carrot for the nose.

"The hat and scarf are in the back, I didn't want to squish them—"

He's interrupted by Rey launching herself across the console to wrap him up in a tight hug.

"Ben!" she squeals into his neck, her excitement barely muffled. "Can we do it now? Please?"

She looks up at him as if he actually needs any convincing, all hopeful eyes and sweet smile.

Ben laughs and gives her waist a gentle squeeze. "Let's go build a snowman."

The way Rey beams at him, the utter delight on her face when she touches snow for the first time, the sound of her carefree laughter when he starts a snowball fight just because she's never had one...

It's all worth being caught running around like children by his parents when the noise eventually draws them out to the front porch... and the knowing looks they give him all week long.

(Plus the awkwardness of Leia trying to sneak him Grandma Padmé's ring before they leave.)

> **4\. Have a family**

He awakes in the middle of the night to an empty bed, and instantly knows and dreads what he'll find just beyond the bedroom door.

There's a single light on in the kitchen, where Rey stands at the counter with that cursed letter in her hand.

It's a challenge to tamp down the burst of rage that courses through him all over again at the mere sight of it, but that's not what Rey needs right now.

Instead, he closes the distance between them to wrap his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Rey brings one hand to rest over his, but she doesn't look away from the letter. The page is overrun by tear stains, and each one feels like a knife to his heart.

"I waited all my life for him," she rasps, voice still hoarse from hours of crying. "All my life, just for this."

 _This_ is a letter from Rey's alleged birth father's lawyer, accompanied by an NDA and the promise of a hefty check if she keeps her mouth shut about the presidential hopeful knocking up his sixteen-year-old girlfriend and subsequently abandoning her twenty-two years ago.

There are threats too, of what will happen if she doesn't.

"You deserve better," Ben tells her, pulling her closer. "God, Rey, you deserve worlds better, I'm so sorry—"

The letter flutters out of her hand as she turns around to face him, her tears long since dried. "I'm not."

Ben blinks at her. "You're... not?"

Rey shakes her head and loops one arm around his neck. "I'm not. I'm glad, actually. I really am, Ben," she insists, and... he believes her. "I've wasted enough time on him as it is, I'm glad I don't have to waste a single second more."

He spends the longest time just staring at her in awe of her strength and resilience, until Rey presses a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth before she reaches for the letter.

"Do you know what you're going to write back?"

Rey shrugs and crumples the letter into a ball.

"He can keep his money and his dirty little secret. I've got all the family I need right here." She stretches up on her tiptoes to kiss him soft and sweet, and leads him back to bed with a smile.

The letter remains abandoned in the dark, a forgotten relic of the past.

> **5\. Find a home**

It's the last day of their final semester, which also makes it the last day Rey is allowed in her scholarship-sponsored dorm.

She's been bringing her things over to his place bit by bit ever since he asked her to move in two weeks ago, and all that's left is a duffel bag she and Rose plan to swing by and grab now that they're done with their last final.

"Sounds good, see you soon," Ben texts back. "I'll have dinner waiting."

He waits for Rey to acknowledge the message with her usual string of emojis before he turns to the handful of people gathered in the apartment.

"Everything's going as planned."

Poe lets out an excited whoop and drapes a string of fairy lights around his neck. "Time to party!"

For the next half hour, he lets Rey's friends have free rein over the kitchen and living room, watching them set up food and drinks and gifts.

They finish just as his phone beeps with a text from Rose letting him know they've entered the building, and everyone quickly takes their places while Ben plunges the apartment into darkness.

It's not long before Rey opens the door and calls out for him in obvious confusion.

On cue, Poe hits the lights to reveal everything, and everyone calls out, more or less in sync, "Surprise!"

Rey takes in the scene with wide eyes and parted lips, and Ben knows exactly what she's looking at when her eyes remain fixed on the banner he and Poe had strung overhead.

It reads simply, _"Welcome home, Rey!"_

He makes his way to her while the others start serving up pizza and cracking open beers, and Rey comes willingly when he draws her into his arms.

She looks at him with bright eyes and a tremulous smile. "I've never had a home before."

Ben cups her face in one hand and uses his thumb to brush away a stray tear. "Well, now you do," he tells her gently, "and you always will."

Rey leans into his touch and nuzzles his palm with a smile. "I love you."

It's far from the first time she's told him so, but it still feels like a miracle every time he hears those words.

"I love you too, sweetheart." And every time he gets to say it back, he feels like the luckiest man alive.

> **+1: Find true love**

Every year, Rey talks him into getting a cake by convincing him it's more for her sake than his, really. His 26th birthday is no different, and he watches with a fond smile as she lights a single candle and carries the cake over to the dining table.

"Make a wish!" she prompts him as always, and as always Ben obliges with a smile and closes his eyes.

He makes the same wish he's made ever since he was five, on every lonely birthday, every falling star, every dandelion seed.

Okay, it's not _exactly_ the same.

Young Ben used to wish for someone, anyone, to see him and choose him and love him, simply because he didn't know any better.

These days, he just wishes for Rey to stay.

She asks her usual question as soon as he blows out the candle, her voice closer than expected.

"What did you wish for?"

 _You, it's always been you_ , Ben thinks to himself. Out loud, as he slowly opens his eyes, he teasingly reminds her, "You know it won't come true if I..."

He doesn't get the chance to complete his sentence, because the sight that greets him takes his breath away.

Rey is no longer sitting across the table. Instead, she's standing on one knee right in front of him, eyes bright and smile wobbly and hands shaky as she holds up a ring.

"Did I get it right?" she whispers, and Ben—

Ben falls forward to rest his forehead against hers and wrap his arms around her waist, letting out a sound that's something between a laugh and a sob.

 _"Yes,"_ he tells her between kisses, the only possible answer to a question he's been entertaining since the very first day she entered his life and started making his dreams come true. "Yes, sweetheart, you did."

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you for reading and I hope this was an enjoyable, if brief, break from everything that's going on right now. I wrote two 5+1 fics last month, but the other one was mildly inspired by Brooklyn Nine-Nine and as such contains certain plot elements I just don't feel right making light of at this time. I'll share it eventually.
> 
> If you enjoyed this, please feel free to leave a comment or [come say hi on Twitter](https://twitter.com/hiraeth_writes). And hey, wherever you are — I hope you're healthy, I hope you're safe, and I hope you know you're not alone. Take care of each other, friends.


End file.
